SHANDA JAMES

Memorial services for Shanda James were Friday, January 20, at the White Swan Community Center in Lake An-des. Burial was in the Greenwood Presbyterian Cemetery. Peters Funeral Home in Wagner was in charge of arrangements.

Shanda LaRee James, Oowanyang Was’te Omani Win (Walks Beautiful Woman), was born on May 4th, 1991, to Sophia James at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton. She passed away Monday, January 16th, 2023, at Sanford Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Shanda grew up in Lake Andes, where she was raised by both her mother Sophia and Stepdad Travis Holiday, and her grandmother Donna McBride, who was her pride and joy. She attended Andes Central up until her high school years, and later attended both Flandreau and Marty Indian Schools. Shanda graduated with the class of 2009 from Marty Indian School “Home of the Braves,” as class valedictorian. Her classmates said, she was the smartest and was quick to crack a joke to make everyone laugh. Besides her brains and humor, she was also a very caring person and always put everyone else before her. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends and family and was always the life of the party. Shanda also liked to play sports and took a liking to both volleyball and basketball.

Shanda worked at the Fort Randall Casino in the bingo hall and later moved to Sioux Falls where she worked as a crew member at Taco Bell for several years.

Shanda was never the type to be quiet, she was outgoing, ramearned bunctious, and very blunt – she was quick to tell people how she felt and never held back. No matter her circumstances, she also found a way to spend quality time with her kids, family, and close friends. While she was living in Sioux Falls, she grew a community of family and friends in her apartment building who helped her with her children, and especially was fond of Momma Mary.

Shanda is leaving behind four beautiful children: Ariyonni (11 years old), Cartyr (10 years old), Cashyss (seven years old), and Dylonna (three years old). She is survived by mother Sophia James and stepfather Travis Holiday (Lake Andes) and four siblings: Desarae Johnson and her children JoJo, Kya, Royal and Prynce (Minot, ND), Bria Abdo (Lake Andes), Larissa Chavis (Pembroke, NC) and Chaz James and wife Amari Weston (Vermillion). She is also survived by her Grandpa Jim James (Lincoln, NE), Uncle Jamie James (Vermillion), Aunt Tanya James (Lincoln, NE), Grandma Theresa Hart (Lake Andes), Aunt Camille Jones (Wagner), and Godmother Stacy McBride (Lake Andes.

She is preceded in death her Donna McBride (grandma), Harold McBride (grandpa), Sharon McBride (grandma), Jake Mc-Bride (grandpa), J.R. McBride (grandpa), Chubby McBride (great-grandmother), Grace Hart (aunt), Jasmine Hart (aunt) and Bryson Jones (brother).